Overland conveyors are typically stationary conveyors that are supported on metal tables that have legs and stringers. The tables are typically mounted on concrete foundations or concrete sleepers. Examples of metal stringers may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,864. The metal stringers are attached to metal legs. The stringers support idlers that are configured to support a continuous moveable belt used in an overland conveyor for conveying material such as ore, minerals, dirt, rock, stone, agglomerated material or other material.
Steel stringers typically require significant installation work. For example, the steel stringers have to be installed and may require the idlers supported by the stringers to be individually aligned. Such alignment may require the use of shims due to the variances that may result in the installation of the steel stringers by installers. The shims often require the conveyor belt supported by the idlers to require additional power as a result of the use of the shims.
A new device is needed to support idlers of a conveyor apparatus and improve the speed and efficiency of installing conveyors. The device preferably replaces steel stringers or permits conveyor apparatuses to not use metal stringers. Alternatively, the device may permit the requirement for metal stringers to be substantially reduced for constructing conveyor devices. Such a device also preferably reduces or eliminates the need for the use of shims for aligning idlers as currently done when using metal stringers.